Asbestos in Your Home

A Health Care Article Contributed by Tracy Morgan

Is It Likely That Asbestos Has Been Used in My Home?

Many people believe that asbestos poisoning occurs in places such as shipyards or when mining the material and it is also commonly thought that exposure to asbestos has to be great, such as in the above mentioned conditions. However, asbestos can be in your own home and you may have absolutely no idea of its existence.

Which Houses are More at Risk at Containing Asbestos?

Since the last 1960s, it has been recognized that the inhalation of asbestos fibers or dust can cause some cancers and as a result, the use of asbestos has almost been eradicated. However, before this time, asbestos was used for a great many things. Therefore, older houses that were build previous to the 1960s are more likely to contain the toxic substance.

How Will I Know If My Home Has Asbestos in It?

Unfortunately, asbestos use was widespread before its potentially dangerous characteristics were realized and therefore there are many places where asbestos may have been used. In fact, asbestos was not only used throughout the inside the houses, but also was quite often used in roofing and even as a form of insulation. These are two of the most common uses for asbestos, but it may also be lurking in much less thought of places.

For example, asbestos has been found in some types of paints that have been used to cover walls and ceilings. Also, asbestos has been detected in vinyl floor and wall tiles and also in older kitchen appliances such as stoves. Again, in older houses, asbestos may have been used to coat hot water pipes or tanks.

What Should Be Done If Asbestos is Discovered in Your own Home?

I think very few people these days are not aware of the potential problems caused by coming into contact with asbestos. Just the thought of your house containing asbestos can be made all the more scarier if you may have been subject to the inhalation of fibers for many years. However, the main thing to remember is that although you may well have items containing asbestos in your house, it is only asbestos that has come into disrepair that will release the dangerous fibers.

If a product containing asbestos is in relatively good condition, then there is no reason to believe that any asbestos fibers have been released for you to subsequently breathe in. Also remember that if you do discover asbestos in your home and it does appear to be in good condition, then it should be left alone. Tampering with it only increases the chances of the dangerous fibers being released for you to inhale.

Another important thing to remember is that once you have discovered a source of asbestos, then you should monitor the area very closely and regularly to check for any changes. As mentioned, asbestos fibers are only released when damaged in some way and therefore if you should be vigilant in checking whether any damage or wear and tear has occurred.